About 103 years ago, Russian merchants sought to purchase 10,000 cats from eastern Türkiye to combat rat infestations at ports and grain warehouses, according to a newly uncovered newspaper report.
Researcher and author Taner Özdemir, who has been exploring the lesser-known stories of Erzurum and the surrounding region through old newspapers, photographs, books and archival records, uncovered the unusual account during his research.
A report published in the Aug. 9, 1923, issue of the Sarıkamış-based Varlık newspaper said Russian merchants were looking to buy 10,000 cats from Anatolia. The cats were expected to be sourced primarily from Erzurum, as well as Kars, Sarıkamış and other parts of eastern Türkiye.
Published under the headline “They Are Buying 10,000 Cats,” the report said rats had become a serious problem in Russia and that a committee had been formed to procure 10,000 cats to tackle the infestation.
Özdemir said the story was particularly striking because it revealed an unusual response to a serious problem facing Russia at the time.
“There is a very interesting report in the Aug. 9, 1923, issue of Varlık, its 171st issue, which was founded in Sarıkamış and later moved to Erzurum: ‘Russia is buying 10,000 cats,’” Özdemir said.
“So what makes this story interesting? Where would these cats come from, how much would they pay for them and, most importantly, why cats?”
According to Özdemir, Russia was struggling with severe rat infestations at ports and warehouses along the Black Sea and Caspian Sea coasts, particularly during a period of major political and social upheaval.
“Rats were gnawing through all kinds of goods, and there was also widespread hunger,” he said. “In response, Russia decided to establish a commission and gave it the task of procuring 10,000 cats.”
The story also resonated strongly with readers in eastern Türkiye, particularly in Erzurum, Kars and Sarıkamış, Özdemir said.
Russian merchants eventually turned their attention to cats in the Erzurum, Kars and Sarıkamış region, Özdemir said.
“The Russian merchants began asking themselves, ‘Where can we find these cats?’ And that search led them to Erzurum, Kars and Sarıkamış,” he said.
According to Özdemir, cats from the region were particularly attractive because of their ability to withstand harsh winters and their strong hunting instincts.
“Erzurum cats are resilient in cold weather and have strong hunting abilities,” he said. “So the cats most likely to solve the rat problem quickly and effectively were those from Erzurum or the Kars-Sarıkamış region.”
The unusual demand also appears to have sparked interest among local residents, who saw an opportunity to make money from the cat trade.
“It created the perception among people in the region that this could be an important source of income,” Özdemir said. “You could even say that people, particularly around Erzurum and Kars, began going out to hunt for cats.”
Exactly how much the cats were paid for and how many were ultimately taken to Russia remains unclear.
Özdemir said archival research is continuing in an effort to uncover more details about the unusual episode and determine whether all 10,000 cats were actually procured and transported.
